


Paris Stands Alone

by lilnome



Category: DCU, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Black Cat Luka, Gen, Miracle Court, the miraculous have side effects
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22355215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilnome/pseuds/lilnome
Summary: For six months, the Court of Miracles begged the Justice League for help. For six months, they were ignored. Now, four and a half years later, the Court has cut France off from the rest of the earth, for the safety of all. How will the League cope?Elements taken from works by WinterMoth, ficsforthestars, and multifandomscribette ! Please check them out, they're all fantastic artists!
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 298
Kudos: 772





	1. Chapter 1

“Hello? Nightmare, is it on?” The voice he had been listening too on loop asked over the video, which was currently just a black screen.

“It is, your grace.” A voice responded from behind the camera, feminine and raspy.

“Okay.” The camera panned up from the ground to reveal a small figure, a petite girl in a spandex suit. The date in the corner of the screen was from _five years ago_.

“Ready when you are, melody.” The boy in the black cat suit, with the green ombre hair murmured, setting a hand on the shoulder of the small girl. The height difference was staggering, and he couldn’t tell ages for any of the figures, though he was often called the world’s best detective.

“I-I’m ready.” She takes a deep breath, before facing the camera. “My name is Ladybug, I am wielder of the Miraculous of the beetle, and Lady Luck of the Court of Miracles. This is my partner and equal, Cat Sidhe, wielder of the Miraculous of the black cat, and Duke Destruction.” She gulped and paused, and the cat set a hand on her shoulder.

“This is an official plea for aid, from the Court of Miracles to the Justice League of America. I beg of whoever is listening, _help our people_. The Butterfly and the Peacock are corrupted, and several of our own were forced to face their Judgement, for the sake of the Balance. We are few, and our enemies are older and more experienced than we. Please, the monsters we face grow stronger every day, and so many have died. I can bring them back within a few minutes, but it….” She sobbed, clutching her hands to her chest. The black cat themed hero cradled her to his chest, humming. After a few minutes, he released her and she continued. “When civilians die, I can bring them back within a certain time frame, but the battles are getting longer…harder…. deadlier. It hurts to fix things like that, I feel their pain and fear and desperation. Please, we’re just kids, we need help! Our Master has perished, and the Order has fallen!” She took a moment to compose herself. “Once more, this is Lady Luck of the Court of Miracles, sending an official plea for aid to the Justice League of America. Bug out.” The video cut out, and the League sat in silence. Batman turned around from where he stood beside the screen, and faced the assembled members.

“That video was sent _five years ago,_ by a group of heroes in Paris. They were, at the time, according to what Question and I have pieced together, fourteen at the youngest, fifteen at the oldest. They sent _fifty four just like_ it, all within six months. Then, they stopped. This video was sent two hours ago, to screens around the world.” He clicked the remote, and a new video began to play. This time, Ladybug wore a suit of plain black spandex under light armor, that was covered in ladybug spots. The cat hero, Cat Sidhe, was dressed different as well, with heavier armor and a leather jacket.

“Greetings, denizens of the world. I am Ladybug, wielder of the miraculous of the beetle, and Lady Luck of the Court of Miracles. Standing with me is my partner and equal, Cat Sidhe, wielder of the Miraculous of the black Cat, and Duke Destruction of the Court of Miracles. Behind the camera is Nightmare, wielder of the miraculous of the horse, and Lady Traveler of the Court of Miracles. This is declaration backed by the President of France and the Mayor of Paris. Until such time as Hawkmoth and Mayura are defeated and their Miraculous reclaimed and cleansed, all of France will be off limits to citizens of the outside world. All tourists and non-citizens, ambassadors included, will need to be gone in the next week, or they will be deported. The world has ignored our _countless_ cries for aid, though we’ve sent over fifty messages to the Justice League of America, no answer has been sent. Should the Miraculous be needed again by the outside world, we too shall fail to answer. This I so decree, as Lady Luck. Bug out.” The transmission cut, leaving the League members to stare at the blank screen for a few moments, before Diana stood, grabbed her chair, and flung it across the room.

“Why did we ignore these transmissions?!” She raged. “The Miraculous are timeless! Lady Luck’s decree could have just doomed us all!” She slammed a fist on the table, rage evident.

“Booster Gold and Guy Gardner decided they were _pranks_.” Batman deadpanned.

“Are you _STUPID?!!_ ” Zatana snapped, magic sparking at her finger tips as she ran her hands through her hair, making it stand on end.

“It was a gag! It’s a buncha kids in spandex, bats!” Guy defended shrugging.

“That was my initial thought. Until I _actually fact checked_.” Batman clicked the remote again, and dozens of articles appeared, about Paris, and all of France, being completely shut off. “Thousands of people have been forcefully deported, not a single foreigner left behind.”

“The League has made a massive mistake.” Zatana decreed.

“Can someone _please_ explain what a miraculous is?” Superman asked, looking very lost.

“The Miraculous are governing forces of the _everything_. If their wielders decided they weren’t going to help individually; this wouldn’t be so bad, but _Lady Luck_ deciding that? We’re _fucked._ ” Zatana had started pacing, muttering to herself, while Diana just sagged against the wall and explained.

“From the beginning,” Zatana cut in. “the beginning of _all_ , the miraculous gods, the Kwami, have existed. It’s said that the Kwami of Life and Death fought, and they destroyed each other, creating, well, _the multiverse._ They were the most powerful Kwamis, but now that title falls to Tikki and Plagg, the Kwamis of creation and destruction. They, as leaders, decided that it was a bad idea to let the powers they wielded exist in a universe with so much life, so they sealed a great deal of their power away into a higher plane of existence, and sealed what was left into the miraculous jewels, and trained an ancient order, some of the first humans, to protect the jewels and wield their power. The Kwamis then agreed to let trusted members of the order forge their jewels into wearable items. These items gave the wearer the ability to interact with the Kwami, and to transform into heroes, and wield their power in different abilities. The Miracle jewels change humans into something… _more_ , the longer they are held. The jewels only work for one living person at a time, unless the current Master of the Order or the wielder of the beetle or cat, passes Judgement. To face Judgement is to never be able to use a Miracle jewel again, and to be made a normal human once more.”

“What do you mean, ‘more than human’?” Flash asked.

“The miraculous make the wielder functionally immortal. They cannot get sick, can’t grow old, and they are difficult to kill.” Constantine piped up. “They have some nasty drawbacks, though. Wielders take on animalistic traits, and lose the ability to reproduce. No matter what they do, they will be completely infertile, even if they face Judgment.”

“It is why my Mother, Hippolyta, had to craft me from clay. She wielded the beetle, until Themyscira was cut off. She willingly passed Judgement on herself, so the beetle could still be used to protect the world in it’s moments of need.” Diana added.

“Let me get this straight.” Green Arrow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “There are literal _gods_ , bound to _jewelry_ , living on earth. We have failed to help these kids, and they _cut France off from the world_. These kids are the personifications of the wills of literal _gods_ , and are slowly becoming _demigods_. These demigods are angry with us, and are facing _another demigod_ , on their own. Did I get it all?”

“Basically, mate.” Constantine chuckled. "Basically."


	2. Chapter 2

Ladybug stood on the Arc de Triomphe, staring out at the skyline of her home. Cat Sidhe landed next to her, out of breath. 

“Melody!” He panted, leaning forward to catch his breath. “Transmission...some League members cast a spell…hacked the comms. They’re demanding to talk to us. Vixen and Yellow Jacket are on the way, along with Snapping Turtle. They’ll be here in five minutes for a video chat.” 

“I’m sorry, are you serious, love? Because if you are, I’m going to have _problems_.” She growled, eyes glowing a faint blue. “Those idiots. Do they not get ‘off limits’?!” She turned and punched a gargoyle, which cracked under the immense force behind her fist.

“I know, my melody, but we need to listen, as Lady Luck and Duke Destruction of the Court.” She sighed, leaning back against him. 

“I know, love. But seriously, are _you_ okay? I know you really resent them.”

“No?” He murmured. “I used to _idolize_ Wonder Woman and Batman; they were my favorite heroes. And then they just left us to flounder, left you! We were kids! We're still young, and we only have our Kwamis to guide us. Mom was almost deported with the others. It’s hard.”

“I know, my love, but at least we have the team, and each other.” She offered, and he twirled her around so that she was facing him. He placed his hand on her hip and cradled the other, while she flung her free hand around his neck. He began to hum and sway them side to side, until his melody’s song had slowed from the frantic beating of war drums to the soft, steady beat he so adored, filled with harps and bass, in a lovely contrast that always soothed something inside him. They stayed in each other’s arms for a few minutes, before a figure dressed like a bee, or perhaps a hornet, landed on the roof. 

“Your Ladyship, your Grace. The League grows impatient.” Their trusted second in command, Yellow Jacket, bowed low. Yellow Jacket was wielder of the bee, and Madame Subjugation. She wore a tailcoat in muted yellow, and a pair of knee high boots that were a shade lighter. The coat reached her trim waist, and was met by pair a of black and yellow striped breeches. Belted over the coat was a top, with a wicked sharp tip.

A second figure landed on the roof. They had long blonde hair in a complex warriors’ braid, and a bandana like mask that fluttered in the summer breeze, looking like a pair of droopy ears. This one wore a burnt orange tunic top with black leggings and ankle boots the same color as her top, with a cropped bolero jacket that reached her ribs and stopped. Strapped to her hip was a pair of reed pipes, five slim wooden pipes in staggering lengths, with a hole for someone’s fingers to block the air blown in the top.

“Vixen, report.” Ladybug pulled away from her partner, still holding his hand in her own. Vixen was Yellow Jacket’s cousin, and they were incredibly close. They were a powerful team, and true partners in every sense.

“A storm is rolling in, your Ladyship. The horizon is clear, but a storm front will ravage us for a time.” Vixen’s eyes were glowing a faint orange, as the spirits of past holders spoke through her. The duty of the fox was to, when the time came, usher the spirit of a miraculous wielder into the next life, to join those who came before. As such, Vixen could use the abilities of the ancients, the spirits who had wielded the jewel the longest. She could call on the beetle for bursts of luck, the bee for strength, and even, as she did now, the peacock, for foresight. As she did not wield the power of the _actual_ miraculous, just a fragment, the powers were weak, and often had the ability to misfire.

“Thanks, Vixen.” Cat Sidhe spoke, looking grave.

“Thanks. YJ, get her home to rest. When should Nightmare be here?” There was a duo of thuds, and a familiar voice called out.

“Now, your Ladyship.” The speaker was a woman, with dark hair with a gray streak and dark lined eyes behind a pair of smoky lensed glasses. Nightmare was one of the few who’s miraculous didn’t ever change much, instead always fogging the view of her blinded eyes. She wore a long dark gray trench coat and a pleated leather skirt over ripped stocking, with a reinforced vest that looked like Kevlar, and a scooped neck top underneath. She had on a pair of riding boots with a light gray stripe going down the side.

“Heya, boss-lady!” the second hero greeted, setting down their camera gear. Snapping Turtle, wielder of the turtle and Master Protector. They wore a cowl with red around the eyes, with their shield strapped to their back, over a long sleeve shirt in forest green. They wore a hunter green jeans and a pair of heavy looking motorcycle boots in a near-black shade of green.

“Hey, ST. Are we ready?” Cat asked, walking over and clasping hands with the shorter, dark haired hero.

“Sure are, boss-man! Lemme just get the camera ready, okay?” Snapping Turtle quickly pulled their shield off their back and tapped twice on the center. It swung open like the top of a laptop, and they quickly typed a series of commands onto the glowing keyboard. They spun it to face him, and Nightmare separated her tonfas into two pieces each. While Snapping Turtle set up the camera, Cat balanced the shield-top on the sticks, until it was eye level.

“Are we sure we don’t want to do this at base?” Nightmare asked, stepping off to the side, ‘watching’ the proceedings.

“Yes. We can’t trust the League yet. Now, your Ladyship, I need you to take a half step in. Cat, same thing. Alright, and three, two,” Snapping Turtle counted down on their fingers, and the screen flickered to life.

“Greetings, members of the Justice League.” Ladybug spoke.

“Hello, Lady- “Superman was cut off by Ladybug speaking again.

“Tell me what you want. You have thirty seconds. _Go_.”


	3. Chapter 3

It had taken Zatana and Constantine working together to breach the magical protections around the Court of Miracles comm lines, and then Oracle taking out the firewall.   
“Who is this?” A voice asked. Male, by the sound of it.  
“This is Superman of the Justice League; we need to speak to Ladybug.” Clark spoke, arms crossed. There was silence, as if the person was trying to think.  
“Did you not see the message? France is shut off. Go away.”  
“That isn’t an option.” Flash insisted. “We’ll just hack in again and again.”   
“Alright.” The voice sighed. “I’ll see if her Ladyship will speak with you.” There was then silence for several minutes, and then the voice came back. “His Grace wants to set up a video chat. We’ll be ready on our end in five minutes.” More silence, and then a screen flickered from lines of code to a picture of two figures, Ladybug and Cat Sidhe, against the night sky.  
“Greetings, members of the Justice League.” Ladybug spoke.  
“Hello, Lady- “Superman was cut off by Ladybug speaking again.  
“Tell me what you want. You have thirty seconds. Go.” Clark spluttered, before Oracle spoke.  
“We want to help. A few junior members were the ones in charge of sorting the incoming messages, and they believed your cries for help were pranks. We wish to offer our deepest apologies, Your Ladyship, Your Grace, and to extend an offer of aid. We can help track down your opponent- “  
“Opponent?” Cat Sidhe hissed, ears pinned back against green ombre hair. “This is not a game of chess. Dozens of French men and women die each year because idiot foreigners can’t control themselves. No one comes into France, period!” His tail was lashing violently behind him, and his claws were shining in the moonlight. Ladybug set a hand on his arm, and pulled him a few steps away, before speaking to him in a language none of them could understand. They came back after a moment, though Ladybug kept a hand on her partner’s arm.  
“We’ll have a small summit. Both groups will send four emissaries, and they will meet in Germany, right by the border.”  
“Very well, we can call to arrange- “  
“No.” Ladybug snapped. “We will contact you. Snapping Turtle, cut the call.” The screen went black.  
“That went well.” Constantine remarked.   
X0X0X  
True to Ladybug’s word, the screen crackled to life the next day, this time a single woman appeared on screen, from her torso up. She was young looking, with red hair in a sensible side braid that went off camera, it was so long. She was wearing a high-necked white jacket, covered in black splotches.  
“Hello. I am Fidel, wielder of the Miraculous of the dog and Mistress Loyalty of the Court of Miracles. I have sent you a set of coordinates, a date, and a time. Your emissaries must be there at least fifteen minutes early. If you fail to have your emissaries in the correct place at the correct time, we will take it as you canceling your offer of aid, and will bring our emissaries home. Au revior.” The screen went blank, leaving the League stunned. Batman glared at Superman, who looked like he would very much like to be elsewhere.  
“You were told to leave the situation to Diana and I.”  
“Err, well – “  
“We all agreed this needed to be handled delicately.” He growled.  
“I – “  
“No excuses, Superman. I want a full report on my desk in an hour. Get it done.” The dark night stood and prowled from the room, rage evident.  
X0X0X  
Fidel hung up, shutting down the shell-top. Snapping Turtle was working on their regular laptop, updating their agent on their progress on a new story. It was a romance-murder-mystery, and Fidel was loving getting to beta read it.  
“How’s it going?” A voice called from the door way, and Fidel turned to see Yellow Jacket slumped against the doorframe.  
“The meeting is set. Now, we need to report to Ladybug.” Yellow Jacket nodded and offered her girlfriend her arm, and Fidel took it gladly, giggling a little. The two wielders made their way down the halls of headquarters.   
Headquarters, for the Court of Miracles, meant a completely secluded underground base in the middle of Paris. It was only accessible through one of Nightmare’s portals, and had only one emergency exit, which was unlocked by pushing a surge of miraculous magic into a specialized lock and reciting a password that changed weekly. It was all made by Nightmare and Snapping Turtle, and had taken months of trial and error to perfect.  
As they strolled past the library, full of books on ancient magic, and journals of previous wielders that had been recovered from the site of one of the old temples, Fidel leaned her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. Fidel had had her miraculous the shortest of all the current wielders, only a year. After her came Teacup, the wielder of the boar, who had had the boar for eighteen months. Teacup had just stopped getting her cycle a few months ago, so Fidel had time if she wished to revoke the miraculous before the changes became permanent. Not that she ever would. She couldn’t imagine life without Barkk.  
They arrived at Ladybug’s office after a short elevator ride. Yellow Jacket knocked on the heavy cherry wood door and waited for the call to ‘come in’. Ladybug was working on her encrypted laptop behind her desk, probably checking the program that tracked Akuma sightings.  
“Your Ladyship.” They murmured in unison, bowing low.   
“Oh, stop that!” She admonished, saving and closing her laptop.  
“No can do, Mari-bug.” Yellow Jacket chuckled. “You are our Lady, and we are proud to serve.”   
“So long as you don’t do that when I see you at work.” Ladybug sighed. “Close the door and come in, Barkk and Pollen are probably exhausted from holding your transformations for the last few hours.” Ladybug pressed a button and the vents shuttered, so that no one could get in. It may be redundant, but Ladybug was more than a little paranoid. She had every right to be. All three called their detransformation phrase, and a trio of bright lights filled the room. Left behind was a group of young women, known to the world at large as the main designer, CEO, and CFO of Lucky Lady Design House.  
“So, Chloe, what brings you and ‘brina to my office?” Marinette asked, grabbing a selection of snacks from her fridge and cupboard. Sausage for Barkk, cookies for Tikki, and croissants for Pollen.  
“The summit with the JLA has been arranged. Now, we decide who to send.” Chloe sat, legs crossed, in an armchair Marinette kept for meetings like this.  
“Easy!” Sabrina chirped. Chloe raised a brow and gestured for her girlfriend to continue. “We have to send Mari, as Ladybug she needs to be able to control the situation.”  
“Fair enough.” Chloe admitted.   
“That’s one, what of the other three?” Marinette asked, sipping a water bottle.   
“We need to send two guards, so Chloe and Marc. Chloe can subdue any enemy in a single move, and Marc’s shield is impenetrable. Last member is simple, Kagami.”  
“Oh? Why the dragon?” Barkk asked.  
“She won’t put up with any bullshit from the league.” Sabrina shrugged.   
“This is why I gave you a miraculous, you’re the best logical thinker we have.” Marinette smiled, and Sabrina blushed.   
“Puh-lease!” Chloe scoffed. “Sabrina could do anything, deciding who to send to a summit with a bunch of fools is nothing for her.” Sabrina just blushed harder. 


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette stood by the portal, waiting. Marc and Chloe were beside her, while Nightmare stood to the side. Kagami came into the room, wearing a leather jacket over a red shirt and ripped up black jeans. Marinette couldn’t help but smile. Her best friend had come a long way from where she had been emotionally when she had first moved to Paris, no longer crippled by anxiety to the point she wore her old school uniform every day. Now, she was happily punk, and comfortable in her skin. None of them where wearing their miraculous except Marinette, who had the rat and beetle on. It had been decided that she, as Lady Luck, needed to be able to throw anyone of the trail of her identity. She had the beetle disguised as a pair of cufflinks in her sleeves.

“Mari-Hime, Marc, Chloe. Are we all ready?” Marinette nodded, and Nightmare took a step back.

“Voyage!” She called, and a swirling blue-gray portal appeared. Marinette nodded to Nightmare, and stepped through the portal.

X0X0X

The chosen members of the League had arrived at the designated meeting point twenty minutes early instead of the advised fifteen, simply so that they were prepared. They had gone through a thorough security screening, and each had received a pat-down as well. Superman had been against it, but Wonder Woman understood. They had all been shown to a small conference room with a rectangular table, four chairs on each side. Batman and Superman were on each end, Wonder Woman and Zatana in the middle. They had been sitting there for ten minutes when a swirling gray-blue portal appeared, setting all four on edge.

From the portal appeared four figures, three women and one figure who was completely androgynous.

“Bonjour. My name is Marinette Couffaine, and I represent the Order of the Miraculous as their master.” The woman in the lead said. She had long dark hair that seemed to shine blue in the lights, and wore a button up shirt and a black pencil skirt, with a pair of dark heels.

Beside her was a blonde who radiated indifference. She had on a yellow blazer and white pants, with yellow flats. On the dark haired one’s other side was a woman who seemed to be assessing them as threats. She seemed to be of Asian descent, with almond shaped brown eyes and tan skin. She was dressed the least formally of them all, with a leather jacket and ripped jeans. The androgynous figure had short dark hair and wide green eyes set in a delicate face. The androgynous one wore a green turtleneck and black slacks, and a pair of black loafers.

“I’m honored to meet you, Master of the Order.” Diana stood and made her way over, smiling.

“And I you, daughter of Hippolyta. Tikki sends her best.” Marinette shook Wonder Woman’s hand, smiling. Tikki had been frustrated that she wouldn’t be able to meet her former wielders daughter, but understood the risks attached.

“What is this order? We were under the impression you were representatives of the Court of Miracles.” Batman asked.

“The Order is comprised of Guardians and Guardians in training. It is our sworn duty to protect any Miraculous not in use. I am Master of the Order, the one in charge. We report to the Court, and it is our honor to serve.” Marinette explained, taking a seat. The androgynous one and the blonde sat down as well, but the Asian woman remained standing.

“I am Chloe Bourgeois, and with us are Marc Anciel and Kagami Tsurguri. All of us have been chosen by the Court to stand as their representatives. We are allowed to make the final decision on who, if any of you, will be allowed into France, let alone Paris.” The blonde spoke, setting a briefcase on the table.

“What do you mean, ‘if any’? I thought we were discussing terms of letting the League handle Hawkmoth and his sidekick?” Superman asked.

“No.” Kagami snapped. “Hawkmoth and Mayura are a problem for the Order and the Court. They were once of us, and it is our duty to bring them to Judgement.”

“They’re terrorists!” Superman yelled.

“They wield Miraculous, they are not your problem!” She yelled back.

“Superman!” Zatana reprimanded. “They are the ones in charge here, you will listen. It is only right.” Superman took a deep breath and sat back down, clearly angry. “If the three of you are representatives, then why are they here? So far, all they’ve done is stare.” Zatana gestured at Marc who was in the corner.

“Marc is one of us, and my trusted ally.” Marinette said.

“Getting back to business, the League would like more information on Hawkmoth and Mayura, so that we can better help you combat them.” Batman said, internally groaning at how ridiculous Clark could be.

“Hawkmoth wields the butterfly of empowerment, and Mayura wields the peacock of emotion. Hawkmoth can turn anyone experiencing negative emotions into an Akuma. The person gains an ability that relates to whatever upset them. Mayura can bring an inanimate object to life, as a creature we call Sentimonsters. The only one who can return the Akuma victims to themselves is Ladybug, and she’s also the only one who can destroy the Sentimonsters. She is the head of the Court, alongside her husband and partner, Cat Sidhe.”

“How long have they been terrorizing Paris?” Zatana asked.

“Five years for Hawkmoth. This Mayura has only been around three years.” Chloe shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable.

“What do you mean ‘this Mayura’?” Superman asked.

“The peacock is…damaged. Using a damaged Miraculous is extremely dangerous.” Chloe sighed.

“It drains the wielders life force in an attempt to repair itself, but with how badly damaged the peacock is, it would take almost fifty people’s lives to repair it. If Ladybug and Cat Sidhe were to work together, they could repair it. The last Mayura, the original, was using the peacock daily. She only lasted a year. This Mayura appears maybe two times a week. Hawkmoth was working alone for a year, and Ladybug and her first partner almost defeated him before he started bringing Mayura to fights.” Marinette explained

“I was under the impression that only one living person could wield a Miraculous at a time.” Superman questioned.

“Not quite. The previous black cat, who went by ‘Chat Noir’ proved himself unworthy of the Miraculous. He attempted to force himself on a civilian. Our former Master, who wielded the turtle, managed to stop him, but died of his injuries. The turtle was passed on to Snapping Turtle, the current wielder, and Chat Noir faced Judgement.” Marc passed them each a small file.

“And that means what, exactly?” Batman asked.

“Simple. He has no memories of ever wielding a Miraculous, and he can never wield any Miracle Jewel again. It was created as a way to revoke the powers of the unworthy. Only the beetle, the cat, and the Master of the Order can pass Judgement.” Kagami spoke. Her voice was solemn.

“What of the other heroes? Rena Rouge, King Monkey, and Pegasus?” Wonder Woman asked.

“King Monkey still wields his Miraculous, but is more often found at our base. His civilian identity is very busy. Rena Rouge and Pegasus faced Judgement not long after Chat Noir.” Marc spoke. “Neither was worthy of the honor bestowed on them. They betrayed her Ladyship’s civilian identity, and proved themselves untrustworthy.” Marc shrugged.

“Who are the current wielders?” Wonder Woman asked.

“From the top of the chain of command down, Ladybug and Cat Sidhe are in charge. Then comes Yellow Jacket, Vixen, and Snapping Turtle. After them comes King Monkey, Nightmare, Fidel, Multimouse, Teacup and Ryuko.” Marinette recited.

“Mari-Hime.” Kagami called, and Batman raised a brow at the endearment. “It’s time for us to go, Nightmare will be opening a portal back to base soon, and her Ladyship will want us to report in.”

“Thanks, Kagami.” Marinette responded, standing. “Fidel will contact you soon with our decision. Until then, stay out of France.” A portal opened, and the four Guardians walked through, leaving the League members to themselves.


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette waited for the portal to close behind them to speak.

“Well, that was…”

“A shit show. It was a shit show, Mari-bug. Call it what it is.” Chloe scoffed, buffing her nails on her shirt.

“Welcome back!” A voice called from the doorway, and Marinette beamed when she saw Luka, in all his punk-rock glory, leaning against the doorframe. “Nightmare told me about the meeting. How’d it go, Melody?” She walked over and dropped her head against his chest, letting out a long groan as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He pulled her closer and kissed the crown of her head, chuckling a little. “It was that bad, huh?”

“We cannot allow Superman into Paris. His anger is righteous, but he had too little control of his temper. Fighting him would be too dangerous. Even while in control of himself, he causes a great deal of damage to the city he protects.” Marc said. “We cannot risk the amount of damage an Akumatized Superman would do, nor the potential harm he would inflict on the psyche of Paris’ citizens. Batman has control, as well as Wonder Woman, who knows the lore of the miraculous and the power of the Court. Zatana could be useful, but something about her sets me on edge.”

“I agree with Marc.” Kagami decided. “Superman’s dangerous. We need to keep him out, but in a diplomatic way.”

“Then we claim that we need to limit how many of the League are in Paris for safety reasons, that someone needs to be keeping an eye on the rest of the world. We need Batman as a detective and Wonder Woman as someone who can bridge the gap.” Chloe shrugged, examining her nails. “I need to go, it’s date night for ‘brina and I. Later guys.” She waved and walked out of the room, leaving the remaining five to consider the solution she had offered them.

“This is why she’s our second in command.” Luka commented idly. “Melody, let’s head home and I can make dinner while you recap exactly what happened at the meeting.” Marinette nodded, yawning.

“Mari-Hime, when was the last time you slept?” Kagami scolded.

“Two days ago.” Marinette grumbled, burying her face in Luka’s shirt.

“Melody!”

“Mari-Hime!”

“’m fine! I had a couple pieces I needed to finish up for the spring show, and a commission request from Uncle Jagged came in. It was simple, just repairs to the jacket I made a few months ago, so I did it last night instead of sleeping after patrol.” Marinette huffed, puffing her cheeks out.

“New plan. We go home, I cook, you nap, I wake you up once dinner is done, and _then_ you tell me everything.” Marinette sagged, before yawning.

“’mkay. Sounds good.” Marinette yawned and hummed at the feeling of her jaw cracking.

“Nightmare, could you open us a portal?” Luka asked, squatting enough to sweep a surprised Marinette into a bridal carry.

“Of course. Take care of her, bro.” Nightmare opened her portal and smiled at her older brother and sister-in law.

“Don’t I always?” Luka chortled, stepping through the portal into the darkened living room of the couple’s townhouse. Marinette made a more than decent amount from her fashion house, and Luka was Jagged’s favorite opening act and backup guitarist. The townhouse was three stories, the first holding a living room, dining room and kitchen. The second floor was two offices, a bathroom and a guest bedroom, while the third held the master bedroom, a small sunroom, and the master bath. It was a lovely little house, and Marinette had fallen in love with it at first sight. Luka slowly took the stairs to the third floor, humming a tune under his breath to the sleeping angel in his arms. Once he reached the top floor, he carefully nudged open the bedroom door, before gently lowering Marinette onto the bed. She woke up just enough to tug a pillow under her head and give him a sleepy smile before she fell back asleep.

After he had removed her shoes and set her purse on the bedside table, he made his way back down stairs. Plagg floated up from where Luka had dropped his satchel when he had stepped through the portal.

“Is she over working herself again? I’ve talked to Sugar-Cube about it, but she can’t reign her in either.” The kwami lazily floated over to where Luka was prepping ingredients and settled on top of his head. Luka held up a triangle of camembert which caught Plagg’s attention and drew him from Luka’s short hair. The kwami took the cheese and settled on the kitchen island, nibbling at the soft cheese while the guitarist cooked a quick meal.

Luka quickly popped a tray of biscuits from the Dupain-Cheng bakery into the oven to warm up while he finished frying up the porkchops. The green beans were almost done sautéing on the back burner, and he had picked up a few jian dui* from Sabine’s favorite Chinese bakery that she had taken Marinette to since she was little.

After everything was done cooking, Luka filled two plates, grabbed two cans of soda from the fridge, and put all the food on a tray.

“You coming up?” He asked Plagg.

“Nah, I’m comfy. Take care of the little beetle, Sugar-Cube will kill us both if she over works herself again.” Plagg polished off the camembert and grabbed another slice from the round. Normally, Luka would stop him, but right now they were all stressed about this. He carefully balanced the tray as he ascended the stairs, before tapping his foot against the bedroom door a few times.

“Coming.” Marinette called out groggily. There was a bit of shuffling before the door opened, revealing an adorably rumpled looking Marinette.

“How ya feelin’ Melody?” He asked, setting the tray on the side table.

“Better, more alert. You were right, I’ve been pushing myself too hard. Now, I believe you promised me food?” She stretched, and he couldn’t help but adore the way she scrunched up her nose when she yawned, the way it made her freckles all squish together.

“I certainly did. Porkchops, lemon green beans, rolls from your parents, and jian dui for dessert.” He presented her with a plate, and she giggled in a way that made his heart flutter.

“You’re too good to me, love.” She pressed a soft kiss to his lips and he felt her smile.

“Nah, I’m just trying to show you how much I love you.” He responded. “Now, I believe that we had a deal. I cook, you sleep, we talk, right?” Marinette nodded, cutting up her porkchop.

“Well, when we arrived, they were already there…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * A traditional Chinese dessert, a soft pastry ball filled with red bean paste and coated in sesame seeds.


	6. Chapter 6

As the portal closed, Diana shoved her chair back and whirled on Superman. 

“Clark, I am this close,” She held his fingers less than an inch apart. “to calling for a vote to ban you from this mission. You get _far_ too self-righteous when you believe others aren’t listening to reason! What would have happened had the moth wielder been able to possess you?!” 

“She has a fair point, Superman.” Batman said, not even turning to look at the raging Amazonian woman. “Your weakness to magic makes you a liability on this mission. Should the Parisian heroes not ban you for your actions, Manhunter and I won’t be assigning you to the mission.” Superman looked ready to have a very intense fight, but he took a deep breath and calmed down.

“I understand. I just…I want to help these people.” Clark sighed. “They’re likely not even twenty-five, and it kills me to know we’ve ignored them for so long.” That was Clark’s problem. He had too big a heart, and always wanted to be everywhere at once. Bruce heaved a sigh. 

“We all feel that way, Superman, but the past is not something we can change. For now, let’s head back to the Watchtower and report in. The others will want to know how the meeting went.” Zatana set a hand on Diana’s shoulder, mediating as always.

X0X0X

Marinette click-clacked down the hall in her heels, enjoying the sound they made on the hardwood. She was on her way back to her office after a successful meeting of the shareholders of Lady Luck Design House, the company she, Chloe, and Sabrina had started right out of Lycée. They had started working out of Chloe’s hotel room, which had more than enough space for everything. Then, they had received a request from Clara Nightingale for a commission. For Marinette, it was nothing new. She’d been doing work for Clara for almost two and a half years at that point. For LLDH, it was huge. Then came in requests from Jagged Stone, Nadja Chamack, Aleck Cataldi, and more and more people had slowly requested their work, until Chloe had been forced to limit how many requests they took at a time. Eventually, Sabrina, as CFO, convinced the other two to jack up prices a few times, until Lady Luck Design House became one of the most respected companies for high quality, unique, custom work. They currently were operating out of a small brownstone a few blocks away from the recording studio Jagged used, as he was their most frequent customer. The first floor was a boutique and a few fitting rooms up front, with the back half being a small office for meetings with clients. Upstairs was mainly the design room, with half walled off for the three women’s shared office, which had a fantastic view of the Seine. 

Opening the door to the office, she slipped in and shut it behind her with a sigh. Meetings were important to keep the shareholders and board members happy, but dealing with all those pretentious old men was _exhausting_. Marinette huffed and stalked towards her desk, glancing at the clock. It was almost five already, which meant she had just enough time to call her Mama before her shift was over and she could head to base. They were having a meeting to decide for Marinette, Chloe, Kagami, and Marc to tell the others all about the meeting with the JLA. As soon as the clock chimed five, a shimmering portal appeared just a foot from her desk. Marinette beamed, grabbed her clutch, and stepped through.

The reception room was occupied only by Chat Sidhe and Nightmare, both of whom nodded respectfully to her. She flashed them a smile and called for her transformation, giggling a little at the feeling of magic washing over her skin. Her suit had changed greatly since she was fifteen. Now, she wore a skintight suit in a deep scarlet under lighter armor that moved and breathed like leather, with ladybug spots dotted across the surface. Her feet were clad in heavy tactical boots, and her gloves had brass knuckles on the back. Leading the way out of the room, she easily maneuvered the labyrinthine halls of the base. There was over a dozen dead ends in the six story compound, each arranged in a way that made it seem impossible to escape unless you knew the layout. They took the elevator, one of the few pieces of technology in the building, up to the top floor. Nightmare went into the meeting room before them, standing off to the side of the door and clearing her throat. 

“All rise for the Lady Luck and the Duke Destruction, Ladybug and Cat Sidhe; up keepers of the balance, rulers of the court!” She cried, brining the attention of the room to the double doors they stood behind. Each of them pushed open a door, and Cat Sidhe settled into one of the two chairs at the head of the rectangular table. Standing at the other end was a small lectern and a smartboard, for presentations and strategy meetings. On the left hand side sat Nightmare, Snapping Turtle, Yellow Jacket and Fidel, while Ryuuko, Teacup, King Monkey, and Vixen. Ladybug made her way to the lectern, pulling up her presentation on the League members they wished to invite into Paris. Clicking to the first slide, she turned to face her team. These were her allies. They wouldn’t ridicule her, or put her down. She trusted each and every one of these people with her life. 

“The first JLA member being admitted entrance is Batman. His reputation speaks for itself. He will be authorized to bring any and all of his family members with him, especially Nightwing and Red Robin. These men are all exceptional detectives and fighters, and will make wonderful additions to our side.” She gave the explanation she had managed to come up with. How did one _explain_ **Batman**?

“Who else, your grace?” Yellow Jacket asked, bringing her back on topic. 

“Next is Wonder Woman. Her mother was a wielder of the beetle, and as such she understands that the miraculous jewels contain true power. She will be the bridge between us and the JLA.” Everyone nodded, murmuring their agreement. 

“Next is John Constantine, a master of the mystic arts. He is a foremost expert on the arcane and demonology. If we have another Hellfire event, he will be our best bet. After him comes Martian Manhunter, the only remaining member of his species. He is a mind reader, and will enable is to communicate more efficiently during fights. Several others will be given temporary passes, to assist with Akuma and Amok fights if needed and to help us hunt down Hawkmoth and Mayura. Are we all clear?”

“Will they be allowed in base?” Teacup asked. Her voice was no longer squeaky like it was in College, instead slightly deeper and less likely to give one a headache. 

“No, they will not. We cannot risk the base’s location being compromised.” Cat Sidhe spoke. Ladybug nodded along, flashing her husband a grateful smile. She had no clue how she would lead without him.

“Should one of them have a GPS in their suit, they’ll be able to trace their own location. We can’t put all of us in danger that way. Meetings will be held in a neutral, third party location. Or at least, that’s what _they_ think. Yellow Jacket has so _kindly_ offered a room at Le Grand Paris.” Everyone chuckled at that, and Fidel clasped her hand with her fiancé’s atop the table. Vixen high-fived her cousin, and the two blonde’s smirked. 

“When are they coming?” King Monkey asked. She grimaced. 

“Tomorrow. They’ll be arriving at Paris International Airport at seven thirty am.” She winced as the team burst into protests. 

“That’s not enough time!” Fidel snapped. 

“We won’t be ready!” Snapping Turtle argued. 

“I can’t believe this!” King Monkey growled. Ladybug did not shrink in on herself as she once would have. Instead, she took a deep breath, counted to ten, and leveled the entire team with her best glare. When that still took too long for them to settle down, she slammed her hand against the wall. 

“Are you _quite_ done?” She sighed. “I **get it**. It’s too soon. But the League wanted to come sooner. Hell, Superman wanted us to sit on the sidelines and let the JLA handle everything. I _know_ this is less than ideal, but we need the help. We’ve all agreed not to let any more miraculous enter circulation, so we have no choice. Now, I have things to get done in my office. Anyone who has an issue still can speak to me _privately_. Am I clear?” Everyone nodded, and Ladybug took her leave.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day dawned far too early for Marinette’s liking. Not that it affected her sleep, seeing as she, well, didn’t. Yes, she had said that she would take better care of herself, but that was not important right now. It was almost winter, and that would mean she would sleep far more than a normal person anyway. She had made a quick breakfast of French toast and tea (they were all too jittery for coffee, and Chloe and Sabrina had stayed the night, along with Juleka and Rose. The four women often stayed the night after late-night court meetings, or before the day of early morning events. Once everyone had eaten breakfast, and the others had arrived, they all transformed save Marinette and Luka.

“We’re all clear on the plan?” He asked, looking each of the heroes before him in the eye. 

“LB and Cat are busy, they’ll greet them later. For now, Viperion and Multimouse will play host, while I’m in charge. You’ve only gone over it so many times I’ve lost track, Mari-bug. Come on, Nightmare’s portal is ready, and you two have yet to transform. I get you’re stressed, but Marinette and Luka Couffaine walking out of a portal to greet the Justice League would certainly draw some attention.” Yellow Jacket sighed.

“Okay, okay!” Marinette groused. “Mullo, get squeaky!” She called, and a grayish pinkish light washed over her. She was left standing in a short, hooded romper, with thigh high socks and a long pair of pink gloves. Her hair was in a tight pair of space buns, and her face was covered in a dove gray domino mask, the eyes lined in baby pink. She was Multimouse, Mistress Multiplication of the Court of Miracles, and High Guardian of the Miraculous Jewels. Luka beside her was in his usual suit, a darker teal snakeskin jacket over a slightly lighter green tunic top. He also had a pair of black and teal motorcycle pants, plain black motorcycle boots, and a pair of black motorcycle gloves. His mask hadn’t changed since he was fifteen, still shaped like the face of a snake. She confirmed internally that _she_ was ready, and nodded to Nightmare, who was waiting.

“Voyage!” The blind woman called, and a swirling portal opened beside her.

X0X0X

The flight had been uneventful, and they had touched down at a small private airport just on the German side of the border. Batman had informed them that the pilots were both former Air Force, and had spotless records. They were trustable. She hadn’t needed to know that, but it was always reassuring to know Bruce had her back. The two of them standing in the middle of the tarmac, waiting on the Court members to arrive. Clark, after a long debate, had agreed to stay behind, and instead Barry had come along, as had Nightwing. Nightwing was there as backup for Batman, and to hopefully connect with the Court. Diana just hoped that they could appease the Lady Luck and Duke Destruction. Hippolyta had told her daughter dozens of stories of the Miraculous, from her adventures with her dearest friend and partner Heracles, to the stories imparted upon her by Tikki, the Kwami of the beetle miraculous. Diana _knew_ how powerful the miraculous Jewels were, and she also knew that she was absolutely _pissed_ at Guy Gardener and Booster Gold. Both had been regulated to monitor duty for an unlimited period of time, under the supervision of Martian Manhunter. Manhunter would be staying behind for the first few missions, only coming down once relations were a bit more…steady.

Suddenly, a swirling gray portal appeared. It quickly grew to be almost seven feet tall, still glowing faintly. From it, emerged the one female hero from the videos, the one called Nightmare. Behind her came the bee (The one called Yellow Jacket; the second in command), the boar, and the dog (Who she remembered was named Fidel). All four were female, each with a unique look. The horse, Nightmare, was fingering a sai on her belt.

“We are ho- “Diana began, only for the boar, who was the sweetest looking of them, dressed in all pink with a small curly tail sticking out from the back of her vivid pink skirt to glare at her.

“We will await the Grand Guardian.” Her voice matched her appearance, high and sweet. However, it held a menacing tone, as if she was willing to do whatever it took to ensure victory.

“Teacup, there’s no need to be rude.” Another voice called. Emerging from the portal was a diminutive woman dressed all in gray. She looked familiar, as if Diana had seen her before. Then it hit her. This was the woman she had met before. This woman was not only a wielder, but _the_ guardian, the one who was in charge of everything that happened to the Miraculous Jewels. Without her say so, there would be no aid, even Ladybug bowed to the will of the guardian. Who _knew_ how old the young-looking woman was, she could be absolutely ancient, older than even Diana, who remembered the days of the Roman Empire. 

“Greetings, heroes of the JLA. As members of the court, we welcome you to Paris!” The Guardian said, stepping forward and offering Batman her hand. He shook it after a moments hesitation, but Diana knew that was a moment too long. She saw the way the snake (She really ought to learn names.) tensed, as if ready to strike. 

“Wonderful to be here!” Nightwing cheerily greeted. “I’m Nightwing, what are all of your names?” Diana internally thanked _Zuess_ that they had brought along the perpetually optimistic hero. 

“I am Multimouse, Grand Guardian of the Miraculous Jewels, Mistress Vitality, and head of the Order. This is Viperion, Master Opportunity.” The man was bulky, taller than even Batman, and built like a blend of Nightwing and Red Hood. Add all that together with the double snake bite piercings, and he was rather intimidating.

“Next is Ryuuko, Mistress Elemental, and the best combatant in the Court aside from Her Ladyship and His Grace.” The dragon merely stared them down. “Then, we have Nightmare, Mistress Traveler; and her wife, Teacup, Mistress Bravery.” The horse and the boar, now that she paid attention were standing closer to each other, and the way Nightmare had her hand on Teacup’s shoulder was not restraining, but reassuring. “On the other side, we have Roi Singe, Master Chaos.” The man with the red hair nodded to them, twirling a dagger in each hand. He was the bulkiest of them all, but his nervous energy reminded her of Flash when he had caffeine. 

“The redhead is Fidel, Mistress Loyalty. She’s our chief strategist, and sharper than anyone.” The woman nodded to them, standing next to the bee. “With her is her fiance, Yellow Jacket, Marquess Subjugation and second in command. On the far end is Vixen, Marquess Illusion. Now, Nightmare, if you would open a portal to the meeting room, we can be on our way.” The horse nodded and called for her ability. 

As the portal grew, the heroes each nodded deeply to Multimouse, before letting her and Viperion go first. After the two had disappeared through the swirling gray mist, the Miraculous heroes followed. Soon, the four League members were left alone. Diana was the first to move, stepping through the portal with a light shiver. The misty portal was cold and felt like when she flew through clouds.

She emerged in a meeting room not unlike those she was familiar with from her work at the New York Met. It was well lit, laid out like a professional had been hired to do so, and there was a small bar at the back of the room. Multimouse and Viperion took the two seats at the one end of the table. The other Court members scattered about the table, leaving the League a small section at the opposite end of the table from the Guardian and the Snake. Diana and Batman took the seats at the head, with Flash and Nightwing at the sides. 

“Where are Ladybug and Cat Sidhe?” Flash asked Multimouse. 

“Her Ladyship and His Grace are busy. They are tracking Hawkmoth near constantly, along with having regular lives outside of the mask.” Viperion explained. 

“I;m sorry, we came all the way here and they aren’t even meeting with us? Look, I understand you’re a bunch of amateurs, but we’re kind of a big deal.” Flash scoffed. 

“ _Excuse me_?” Viperion literally hissed, his words slurring and his ‘s’ dragging out. Fidel began growling, and Ryuuko sneered, revealing a wicked pair of fangs. 

“You’re all what, early- to mid-twenties? You’re kids.” Diana glanced back and forth between the enraged demigods and the meta, eyes wide. _What in Hera’s name was he **doing?**_

“Flash!” Batman snarled. “Sit down!” Diana shot the speedster and icy glare, matched only by that of the bat. 

“Are you _done_?” Multimouse sneered. Flash just blushed. “You have been invited here as an offer of _peace_. If _any_ of you speak to us that way again, the borders will be closed to you for as long as the court remains in Paris. And I assure you, we can wait far longer than you.” Her eyes narrowed, and Diana felt as if her very soul was being weighed and found wanting. 

“We understand, Multimouse. Hey, how about a friendly spar? Me against whoever is willing!” Nightwing suggested, easily diffusing the situation. Viperion smirked, standing. 

“I’ll go first.” There was suddenly a pit where Diana’s stomach used to be.


	8. Chapter 8

Nightmare had opened another portal, leading them all to what looked like an odd amalgamation of a dojo and a boxing gym. There was a large ring in the middle of the room, surrounded on all sides by ropes. Scattered around the edges of the room was a series of workout equipment that looked like it could withstand even Superman. Viperion casually strolled to the ring and cleared the ropes in a single jump, while Nightwing had to duck through. 

“The rules are simple. First to pin the other for five seconds wins. No weapons allowed.” Multimouse spoke. There was something in her eyes that told Batman this was a bad idea. 

“I won’t go too hard on him, Mouse.” Viperion chuckled, rolling his shoulders. 

“Good. Go!” Her smirk was vindictive, and Diana had a bad feeling. 

Nightwing darted forward, swinging a fist at Viperion’s face. Viperion caught it in one fist, lashing out with a kick aimed at Nightwing’s stomach. The vigilante dodged back, sliding to the left and behind Viperion. He swung a hand at Viperion’s neck in an attempt to hit a pressure point, but Viperion just chuckled. He twirled to the side, grabbed Nightwing’s fist and twisted it behind his back, pinning him to the mat. Nightwing thrashed, only to yelp and freeze when Viperion planted a knee on the center of his back. 

“Viperion wins!” Multimouse giggled. Batman stood there in shock. Nightwing had trained for almost a decade and a half, and was taken down like an amateur. The fight hadn’t even lasted a full minute! Viperion helped Nightwing up, clapped him on the shoulder, and leapt out the ring. 

“So, snake, how many times?” Yellow Jacket asked, something like amusement in her voice. 

“Only five. Overall, took me maybe three minutes.” The snake hero shrugged. 

“What are you talking about?” Nightwing asked, panting. 

“How many times snake-boy here reset time.” Snapping Turtle. chuckled. 

“You said no weapons.” Nightwing groaned. 

“Ah, but we didn’t say no powers.” Fidel pointed out, giggling. 

“That was not a fair fight.” The Flash protested. 

“No fight is ever fair, especially Akuma and Amok fights. One combatant will always have the upper hand, be it via experience or powers. Keep that in mind and you’ll stay alive a lot longer.” Ryuuko scoffed, and Diana nodded. That was a lesson her mother had taught her early. 

“Fair enough.” Nightwing sighed, cracking his back. “So, that’s your power?”

“Yup. My miraculous is not that of the snake, but the ouroboros. I parallel Ryuuko on the wheel, the same way the Ladybug mirrors Cat Sidhe. Almost all miraculous have a partner. While one is strategic, one is more brute force. My miracle resets time for everyone but me, giving me the tactical advantage. Ryuuko’s miracle allows her three shots of elemental power, each lasting a full minute. The beetle and the cat each have two powers, since they’re the yin and yang. Ladybug has -” Here he said something in a language that not even Batman could understand. “which roughly translates to ‘Lucky Charm’, and -” He said something in the same language. “Which means ‘Miraculous Cure’. Cat Sidhe has-” This time the word sent shiver down everyone’s spines. “meaning ‘Cataclysm’, and of course, his -” This word made the hair on Diana’s neck stand on end “which means ‘Nyx’. ‘Cataclysm’ decreases the molecular bonds of whatever item he touches with the hand his ring is on. ‘Nyx’ creates a physical clone with the colors inverted that he often uses as a distraction.”

“Why do those two have more powers than the others?” Flash asked, head cocked to the side. 

“Their Kwami’s were the second to come into existence, well before the others by the equivalent of several millennia. The first destroyed each other, leaving Tikki and Plagg as the eldest and most powerful. They left the most power unsealed out of all the Kwamis. We have several lore books you can look through, along with journals from previous wielders.” Vixen explained, holding a punching bag for Yellow Jacket, who had gotten bored standing around and talking, and decided to work out instead. 

“For now, we need to have a strategy meeting. You need to be briefed on all our powers and responsibilities.” Multimouse turned making her way towards the doors, and Batman didn’t fail to notice the way Nightwing’s eyes followed the slight sway of her hips.

X0X0X

They were led to a meeting room with a long table in the center. There was ten seats on each side of the table, and two at each end. On every wall was a smart board, displaying charts and graphs, and a map of Paris with dozens of pins in a veritable rainbow of colors. Multimouse and Viperion each took a seat on the sides of the end of the table furthest from the door. The other heroes filled in the seats, leaving only the two at the opposite end empty. Once the League Members were seated, four seats on each side were left empty. 

“First is our powers and limits.” Multimouse said, clicking a small remote. The smart board at the head of the table clicked to life. The image on screen was odd, a series of three concentric circles. The middle circle was split into a yin-yang pattern, with a vivid green pawprint on one side and a ladybug pattern on the other. The second layer was split into three sections, one green, one yellow, and one orange. The third tier was similarly split into seven layers; one black, one teal, one brown, one pink, one gray, one red, and one white. 

“This is the symbol of the Court of Miracles. Each section represents one of us. The innermost circle represents our leaders, Ladybug and Cat Sidhe. The second represents Snapping Turtle, Yellow Jacket, and Vixen. The third and final represents Teacup, Multimouse, Ryuuko, Fidel, Nightmare, Viperion, and me.” Roi Singe explained, trying to balance a dagger on the tip of his finger. The further from the center we are, the weaker we are, but we also have less responsibility. It’s my job to bring order to the Court should there be chaos.” He yawned, revealing a massive pair of fangs. 

“So, your powers have a cost?” Flash asked. 

“Not exactly.” Viperion sighed. “For every time we use our miracles, our Kwami, the beings who give us our powers, sacrifices some energy. They can regain the energy by eating human food. The longer we wield our jewels, the more powerful we are, and the more power behind our miracles. Our responsibilities are the things we do to keep the Balance. Like Roi said, his job is to maintain balance in the Court. Ladybug heals all damage dealt by other Wielders, and Cat Sidhe’s duty is to destroy anything that can upset the balance. They have yet to be called upon, and we all fear the day they will be. All of us have a unique job, like Vixen, who you could argue possesses the hardest job of us all.”

“My duty is to escort the souls of the dead wielders into Paradise, the afterlife for those who have shouldered our burden. When we die, we won’t go to Heaven or Hell, but to our Paradise, where every Wielder before us goes. That’s the truest burden of the Miracle Jewels, we will outlive everyone and everything we know, and never see them again, in life or death.”


	9. Chapter 9

Bruce raged. Not in the way he raged when he found his son’s body, cold and bloody and beaten and lifeless. Nor did he rage the way he had when he discovered Talia had made a son from his DNA, had trained the boy to fear disobedience and despise mercy. This was a silent, impotent, righteous rage. They had been _children,_ children who needed to be protected, to be safe and happy, and they had been saddled with saving their city, their home, from a man, no, a _monster,_ who could turn their very thoughts and emotions against them. Children needed to be able to feel, to express themselves. He had spent so long trying to teach Damian that, and he couldn’t imagine the pain these children had been through.

His thoughts were disturbed by a sudden beeping emanating from all the heroes. Snapping Turtle sighed and pulled his shield off his back, popping the top, revealing a screen and a keyboard. 

“Just Monsieur Pigeon. Again.” The androgynous male sighed. Batman would need to find out all the heroes pronouns later, he wasn’t sure what they preferred, and after Cass came out as nonbinary, he had refused to ever make someone feel insecure in their gender. 

“I’m sorry, you have an enemy named _mister pigeon_?” Flash cackled.

“Not as much an enemy as a nuisance.” Yellow Jacket scoffed. “Who’s gonna handle him today?” 

“Ryuuko and His and Her Grace can take him this time, I’ll call LB and Cat Sidhe on the way. We can pick this up later, Viper and I have meetings today, we’ll need to be off. I trust you all to behave.” Multimouse said, making her way down the hall. Nightmare followed, along with the specified heroes. 

“We can come with.” Nightwing said, standing. 

“Fine, but no fighting. You’re to stay hidden and watch. Until you understand just how this works, you are _not_ to interfere.” Viperion declared. 

“I can’t say I like sitting and doing nothing, but I understand.” Batman agreed. Nightmare opened a portal in the room they had been led to, and Multimouse and Viperion went through. Once the portal closed, Nightmare called for her miracle again, opening another portal. Stepping through was a disorienting experience, the world sharply shifting around them. They stepped out onto the Arc de Triomphe, a few miles away from where a giant orb of pigeons were surrounding the Eiffel Tower. 

“Stay back. This shouldn’t take more than a half hour.” Ryuuko instructed. Before she leapt away, a pair of figures landed on the rooftop. It was Ladybug and Cat Sidhe, the leaders of the Court of Miracles. They each seemed to radiate an aura. Ladybug’s was warm and soft, and she smelled of flowers, while Cat Sidhe’s was cold and felt slimy, like rotten food. 

“Nice to finally meet you.” Diana greeted, curtseying slightly. 

“And you, daughter of Hippolyta. Now, as Ryuuko said, the four of you are to observe. Monsieur Pigeon is Akumatized nearly weekly, so we’re able to handle this quickly. Just stay out of the way.” Ladybug had drawn one of her yoyos and begun to spin it rapidly, forming a shield. Cat Sidhe drew his baton and extended it to bo-staff length, dropping into a combat stance. “We’ll go with formation eight, understood?” 

“Aye, Your Grace.” Ryuuko nodded, drawing her blade. The trio of heroes took off at a run, before making a seemingly impossible leap to the nearest rooftop. Soon, they were moving at insane speeds, covering the distance between themselves and the pigeon orb in under a minute. What followed was a truly impressive display of teamwork. 

X0X0X

Ladybug ran across the rooftops, eyes darting about. This week was normal, no power boosts or Amoks running around. Instead, the pigeons were attempting to lift the tower into the sky, as if to fly it away. 

“Looks like it’s another ‘turn the area around the tower into a pigeon preserve’ kinda day.” Cat called, smacking a few pigeons with his baton when they dove for his face. 

“Aye. I do wish he would just move out of Paris, maybe even out of France altogether.” Ryuuko griped. 

“Pfft. Don’t we all?” Ladybug sighed, calling for her Lucky Charm. A tennis racquet. Nothing too out there this time. She took a look around, before nodding. “ _Cat! Pigeon is a birdie, Ryuuko is the net, Mister Man is the target!_ ” She called in the language of the Guardians. He locked eyes with her and nodded, before extending his baton to bat-length, and began slamming the pigeons towards her. With years of expertise (this particular situation happened more often than she would care to admit) she whacked the birds towards Mister Pigeon. The dazed birds slapped against the man, leaving him overwhelmed. 

“Now!” Ladybug called, and Ryuuko dove, snagging the damned whistle from around his neck and smashing it against the concrete. Ladybug traced her finger over the center of her yoyo, and caught the akuma with the grace of years of practice. 

“Au revior, little one.” She murmured, watching the purified creature flutter away. “ _Miraculous Ladybug!_ ” A loveliness of ladybugs made of pure creation magic flew over the city, restoring everything and everyone to their proper places, repairing what was probably millions in property damage. “Let’s check on our visitors, eh?” She asked, turning around just in time for Flash to reach the rooftop with them. 

“That was…not gonna lie, kinda lame. You handled him in less than five minutes.” He shrugged, seeming unbothered. Ladybug took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten in Cantonese in her head. By the time she reached one, Vixen had landed on the rooftop as well, looking grave. 

“Your Grace.” The fox murmured, bowing low. 

“How many, Vixen?” Cat Sidhe asked, tail lashing and ears pinned flat. 

“Only two this time, a woman and her boyfriend who fell from the tower when it was moved. They were being seen to when I left them.” 

“Melody, how are you feeling?” Cat Sidhe asked, setting a hand on her shoulder as she swayed. 

“Tired. An hour nap and some food and I’ll be fine. Tell the guardian that I needed to go home, ‘kay?” She asked Ryuuko, who nodded and bowed. Cat Sidhe swept Ladybug’s legs out from under her, taking off gently over the roofs like a groom carrying his bride. 

“Do you get it now?” Vixen asked, staring after her Lord and Lady.

“What do you mean?” Flash asked as the other members of the League arrived on the rooftop. 

“The beetle isn’t _meant_ for this. Even a weak akuma kills people, bringing them back to life isn’t the _job_ of the beetle, it’s not the job for any of us alone, but Ladybug has wielded her Miraculous the longest. Were any of the rest of us to try and bring someone back to life, we would have to make a trade for that soul, an equal exchange. Every time she brings someone back, part of her soul is damaged, chipping away, bit by bit. It takes four weeks on average for a small chip to heal, let alone the amount of people who die each week. Today, two people died. It will take over a month for her to heal, and she’s been doing this since she was _thirteen_. **That** is why Paris hates you. Ladybug is dying, little by little, to save all of us, and all of you as well.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT! THERE IS TUMBLR EXCLUSIVE CHAPTER ART, PLEASE GO TO @ZEBRABAKER ON TUMBLR TO SEE IT!!!

Cat Sidhe landed on the rooftop of their home, his melody cradled in his arms.

“Plagg, Claws In!” He called, striding past the small garden his melody had planted when they moved in.

“I got the door!” Plagg called, phasing through the handle so that it clicked open. Luka took the stairs one at a time, careful not to jostle his precious cargo. She had fallen asleep mere moments after they left the League behind, and her transformation had failed just before he had gotten her home. Tikki was currently curled up against her neck, humming an ancient lullaby, the words to which had long been lost to mortal minds. 

Entering their bedroom, the kwamis quickly turned down the duvet, making room for Luka to place the love of his life gently on the bed. Tikki made quick work of Marinette’s hair tie and bobby pins, while Plagg gently unlaced her shoes. Luka slid her arms out of her jacket, pausing whenever she would move in her sleep. After a few minutes, she was wearing a comfortable pair of jeans and her tee-shirt. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and tucked the blankets up around her, before making his way silently from the room, leaving Tikki behind to watch over her wielder.

“Come on, Plagg. We need to talk with some people. Claws _out._ ” He snarled, marching back up to the roof. His transformation washed over him, and he felt Plagg’s rage mix with his own, burning white-hot. He felt a growl building in his chest, and he knew his tail was lashing wildly.

Cat Sidhe vaulted the rooftops back towards where he had left the League and his friends, doing his best to calm his temper. The rage of one who held destruction was a dangerous thing if left unchecked.

“Your Grace.” Ryuuko murmured when he landed, bowing as always.

“Not now, Ryuuko. She’s at home resting, with Tikki standing guard. I need to have a little chat with the League, in private. Have Nightmare portal us to my office.” Ryuuko nodded, unclipping her com from her sword’s pommel and quickly dialing the teleporter. While the dragon Wielder made her call, Cat Sidhe closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, reigning in his emotions. He still felt the anger balled tight in his chest, ready to implode at the slightest provocation. The other members of the League arrived on the roof not long before Nightmare opened the portal. He stepped through without a word, and the League followed, the other members of the Court following last. They emerged in a simple office, with a large black desk in the center of the room.

“Have a seat,” Cat said, gesturing to the armless chairs in front of the desk as he walked towards the far wall. Pressing his ring to a knot in the wood panel wall. With a click, the section of paneling swung open, revealing a small liquor cabinet. He grabbed one of the four identical decanters inside and poured a few fingers worth of the shimmering silver liquid into a crystal glass. Stalking back across the room after he shut the panel, he slid into the large office chair behind the desk, before taking a small sip.

“Sooooo, what’s up?” Flash asked, sitting crisscross apple sauce in his chair.

 _Ugh, how childish_. Chat thought. This man was not good for Paris.

“I had Nightmare bring us here because we need to have a quick talk. Ladybug, Multimouse, and I all agree that you specifically, Flash, aren’t showing the Court members due respect.”

“I don’t see what you mean, I’ve been treating you the same way I treat all sidekicks.” Flash shrugged. Chat Sidhe stood suddenly, slamming his fists onto the table.

“Sidekicks?” He sneered. “I have been part of the fight against Hawkmoth for _seven years_ , and even though some of the Court members have been fighting for less than that, they are still capable, independent heroes nonetheless. I want you _out_ of Paris, Nightmare will send you back to your Watchtower, I’ll give you two minutes to say your goodbyes.” Chat Sidhe slammed what was left of his drink and stalked towards the door.

“What? You can’t do that!” Flash tried to stand up, but merely stumbled because of how he was sitting.

“I think you’ll find that I _can_ , and I _am_.” Chat said, opening the door. “You’re down to a minute and forty-five seconds. Say goodbye, and get ready to leave the city.” He shut the heavy looking oak door, leaving the trio alone.

X0X0X

The moment the door shut; Diana slapped Flash on the back of the head.

“You are a fool, Barry Allan!” She snapped. “What part of _literal demigods_ did you not understand?!”

“So what? Shazam is a demigod, and so are you!” Flash griped, rubbing the back of his head.

“No, we aren’t! People _call_ us demigods, but we are still human! My immortality comes from being an Amazon, and Shazam’s powers are from a wizard! These people are wielding the powers of the very Gods that created the universe! Hell, none of them are even really human!”

“Enough!” Batman snapped. “You are in the wrong, Flash. The members of the court may follow orders from Ladybug and Chat Sidhe, but they are as far from sidekicks as you are. We hold _no_ authority here, meaning that you _will_ be leaving Paris, and you will _not_ complain. Have I made myself clear?”

“Fuck it! I guess!” Flash heaved an exasperated sigh. The trio stood in silence until the door opened again, admitting Nightmare.

“Are you ready?” She asked, and Flash nodded. After a moment of no response, he spoke.

“I’m ready.”

“Very well. Voyage!” Nightmare called, summoning a portal. “This will deposit you directly inside your precious watchtower. Do not attempt to come back through, it’s one way. Goodbye, Flash.” The speedster shot Nightmare a cool look, before stepping through the portal, which Nightmare slammed shut after him.

‘ _and then there were two’_ Diana thought.

“Our Lady is at home resting. Now that we have proved you are willing to respect us, we will return the favor. Follow me.” Nightmare swept from the room, leaving the duo no choice but to follow.

X0X0X

They were led to the meeting room from earlier, with the entire court in what seemed to be designated seats. Chat Sidhe took one of the two seats at the head of the table, staring them down.

“What we are about to do is the highest display of trust possible. Plagg, claws _in_.”


	11. Chapter 11

Nightwing had been horrified to find out there were heroes fighting alone. Everyone needed support, no matter how strong they were. God (God _s_? Kwamis?) only knew he had needed his family around to back him up and drag him out of the darkness in his mind (You didn’t go through everything he had and not have some darkness.) that sometimes pulled him down. He had been fascinated by Bruce and Diana’s reports of the meeting with the representatives of the Court. Admittedly, the idea of a cult dedicated to all powerful magical artifacts reminded him eerily of the League of Assassins, and their precious Lazarus Pits. But then he met them.

There was the snake, Viperion, with piercings around his lips and protectiveness in his eyes and a fanged mask made to look like a snake, ready to strike. He reminded Dick of Jason. There was the horse, Nightmare, who reminded him of Cass, easy to miss and unassuming but so silent and ever watching. And the dragon, Ryuuko, the one who carried the sword and acted as if she would lay her life down with nothing but a slight grimace in order to _protect_ , made him think far too much of Damian when he had first arrived at the manor, willing to obey every order with only the slightest hesitation. He rather liked Multimouse, the Grand Guardian. She was feisty and sassy and competent. She reminded him of a mixture of Star and Raven. Both kind and playful, but also stern and responsible (and if he stared at her ass once or twice, who could blame him? She was clearly physically fit, and he and Star agreed there was nothing wrong with looking).

Then, he saw Ladybug in action. She was a fierce leader, communicating effortlessly with her team (even if he had no clue what language they were speaking) and handling the item her powers had summoned (A tennis racket? Seriously?) with grace and skill. And the feeling of the cure washing over him…it felt like Alfred’s chocolate chip cookies, when Damian would smile at him when he thought he wasn’t looking, it felt like when Bruce would snort at puns, like hugs from a mother he barely remembered but dearly missed. He had done as the Court members told him, staying back and out of the way of the fight, observing and seeing how he could help in the future. He had mentally groaned when Flash had taken off right before the Akuma was cured. Jesus H _Christ_ , this was why Bats had an anti meta policy! They were all bull-headed, thinking their powers made them invincible, when they were still human.

Diana and Bruce, at least, had the patience to wait until Ladybug had tossed her yoyo into the air and summoned her loveliness to undo all the damage. It had been after Cat Sidhe had whisked away Ladybug that he arrived on the roof with the others.

“So, uh, what just happened?” He asked, staring at the Flash, who looked to be struggling with something.

“Nothing important. Ladybug used the cure, so she needs to rest or something.” Flash shrugged. Vixen growled at him, and Nightwing felt like Flash was grossly over-simplifying the situation.

“So, how long have you had the miraculous? You’re a newer hero, there used to be a different one, right?” Nightwing asked.

“Correct. I am the second the wield the fox to take down Hawkmoth. My predecessor, Rena Rouge, proved herself unworthy to the guardian. She faced Judgement, and will never be one of the Court again. I was chosen after helping a friend fend of an Akuma that wished to possess her. All of us who were chosen have shown great kindness, loyalty, determination, and level-headedness. Should we ever falter, we will be placed on probation, and given a single chance to redeem ourselves.”

“What happened to Chat Noir?” Batman asked.

“The Miraculous all have side effects, as you are aware.” Vixen sighed. “And the more powerful the Miraculous is, the greater the mental toll. When the first two Kwamis, whose names have long since been lost, destroyed each other, every shard became a human soul Every human soul is unique, but the souls of those who are able to wield the Miraculous contain larger fragments. The larger the fragment, the stronger the soul. Every Miraculous, save the turtle, has a leaning, towards life or death. Beetle Wielders always lean towards life, while the Cat leans towards death. Chat Noir’s soul was too weak, and the power of the Cat took too great a toll on his mind. He became obsessed with Ladybug, and was insistent that they were soulmates, and eventually claimed that she _belonged_ to him. When she continually rejected him, he spied on her when she transformed back, but he didn’t see her face, and made an assumption as to her identity.” Vixen sighed. 

“He was wrong, but he was too far gone at that point. His mind had been completely corrupted. He forced his Kwami to transform him and went to the girl he believed to be Ladybug’s house. The girl had a balcony, and he landed and destroyed the door. He then entered the room, and he…well, the girl screamed, and her parents came running. Her father flung Chat Noir out the window. Jade Turtle, the previous Guardian, was out on patrol, and heard the scream, so he went to investigate. When he got there, Chat Noir had started climbing back up, so he asked if there was an Akuma. Noir ranted and raved at him for a few minutes, and he figured out what was going on while the girl and her parents got away and called the police. When Noir realized what was going on, he attacked the Guardian. Ladybug and didn’t arrived in time. Since Chat Noir wasn’t stable, he wasn’t holding back. He Cataclysmed the Guardian, and Ladybug was seconds too late. She passed Judgement on him, took the ring, and he never bothered anyone again. Her Ladyship has never forgiven herself.” Vixen was staring into the mid-distance, eyes clouded as if she was watching the past play out in front of her.

“So, wait, these magical jewels drive people crazy? Why would anyone accept them?!” Flash yelled.

“The previous Guardian, the one who gave Ladybug and Chat Noir their Miraculous, didn’t receive full training before a fire consumed the temple of the Order. He thought that any death-leaning soul would be able to wield the Cat, but he was obviously wrong. He also didn’t truly test them, and instead gave the Miraculous to them and left them to flounder for almost six months.”

“He was a foolish old man, who was afraid to confront his mistakes.” Ryuuko sneered. “The only good move he made was choosing Her Ladyship and passing the title on before he passed.”

“That’s…intense. Did he receive mental help after he was judged?” Nightwing asked.

“It’s not our concern.” Ryuuko shrugged. “His mind was slowly healing itself. By now, since it has been almost seven years, so he should be more stable. No one but the previous Guardian and Ladybug know who he was, nor will they. He is to be forgotten, wiped from our records and history. He was a disgrace.” They lapsed into silence, until Cat Sidhe returned.

“Your Grace.” Ryuuko murmured, bowing.

“Not now, Ryuuko. She’s at home resting, with Tikki standing guard. I need to have a little chat with the League, in private. Have Nightmare portal us to my office.” The Asian woman obeyed, pulling a small disk from the hilt of her sword. She flipped it open like an old cell phone and spoke into it in the same language Ladybug had shouted in earlier. A swirling portal appeared, and Cat stalked through, with Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash all following. The portal flickered, and Nightwing followed Vixen and Ryuuko through.

They were transported to the meeting room, and the two women took the same seats as earlier. Dick made his way towards the door, leaning against the wall as he waited. Eventually, Cat Sidhe stalked in, steps silent despite his heavy boots. A few minutes later, Nightmare followed, guiding Batman and Wonder Woman.

“What we are about to do is the highest display of trust possible. Plagg, claws _in_.” Nightwing sucked in a deep breath as light filled the room. When the light faded, he let out a rather undignified squeal.

“YOU’RE LUKA COUFFAINE!” He shouted, pointing at the man who sat at the head of the table.

“Ah, I take it you’re a fan, then.” The man chuckled. “Yes, I am. Everyone, be polite to our guests and introduce yourself.”

“My name is Chloe Bourgeoise, soon to be Raincomprix.” Yellow Jacket sniffed. “I have nine years’ experience, and I was formerly Queen Bee. I changed my name after my identity was exposed.”

“Hello! I’m Sabrina Raincomprix, and I’m Fidel. I’ve only been doing this a year.” The redhead, who was holding hands with Chloe, smiled at them.

“I am Aurore Boreal, Chloe’s older cousin and the illusionist Vixen. I’ve been doing this seven years now.” Aurore was a paler blonde, and her hair was a shade lighter than her cousin’s.

“My name is Rose Couffaine, and I’m Teacup. I’ve only been doing this a year and a half.” The small woman looked even more petite without the padding of her suit.

“Hi. My name is Juleka Couffaine, Luka is my older brother and Rose is my wife. I’ve been doing this eight years as of last month. As you can probably tell, I’m almost completely blind. My Miraculous lets me distinguish light and shape, but color and distance are hard.” The dark haired woman appeared to be years younger without the gray streak in her hair. Nightwing tilted his head a bit, and sure enough, there was a thick band of scar tissue across her eyes, which were a milky white.

“I’m Marc Anciel, and my pronouns are they/them, and I’m Snapping Turtle. I’ve been a hero for eight years.” Marc said, flashing a peace sign.

“Hello. My name is Tsurguri Kagami, I am the heroine Ryuuko, and I have been part of the fight against Hawkmoth for ten years.” Kagami nodded regally, eyes and voice cold.

“Sup? I’m Le Chien Kim, I go by Roi Singe. I’ve been doing this for, uh, nine years now? Yeah, that sounds about right.” The man was trying to balance a pen on his finger, and actually not doing too bad.

“And Multimouse and Viperion?” Diana asked, hesitant. The Court members chortled, sharing looks.

“Isn’t it a little _odd_ to you that you’ve yet to see Viperion in the same room as Cat Sidhe, or Multimouse in the same room as Ladybug?” Kim chuckled.

“Wait… _seriously_? But, only one living person can wield a Miraculous at a time, that takes two Miraculous out of circulation when you could be handing them out to allies.” Nightwing spluttered.

“True, but finding people capable of Wielding the Miraculous is hard, as not a lot of people are able to do so. Chat Noir is proof of that.” Aurore pointed out, leaning back in her chair.

“Besides that, it’s a good cover. No one would ever expect it.” Luka chortled. “We also still have seven Miraculous locked away in a hidden vault, which only my wife and I have access to.”

“WAIT!” Nightwing yelped. “YOU as _Luka_ are married to _Marinette Couffaine_ , but you as _Cat Sidhe_ are married to _Ladybug_ , so that means LADYBUG IS MDC, who announced two years ago she got married and her name changed, OHMIGOD I GOT TO WATCH MDC KICK ASS!” He was squealing at this point. “Red Robin is gonna be so jealous!”

“Oh, _merde_ , he’s a fanboy.” Chloe sighed.

“Wait till he sees Mari again.” Sabrina giggled.

“She’ll match her suit.” Chloe admitted with a smirk. Luka just chuckled. His poor wife.


	12. Chapter 12

Marinette awoke feeling groggy. It wasn’t as bad as it could be, she could have woken up with a killer migraine, unable to move or even open her eyes without pain. That was what happened after most of the worst Akuma attacks, when dozens or even hundreds of souls were nearly lost for good. With a groan, she rolled over out of bed, careful not to disturb Tikki, who was dozing on the headboard. Reviving the dead took a lot out of both holder and kwami.

Making her way down the stairs, Marinette stretched until she felt her spine pop, and then sighed in relief. Padding her way across the room, she pulled open the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. Flopping onto the couch, Marinette cracked the water bottle open and took several large gulps, only pausing when she ran out of breath. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Marinette sighed. She always hated fighting when she was younger. Now, however, it was a necessary evil. Or rather, necessary to defeat said evil.

“Marinette?” A squeaky voice called from behind her.

“Hey, Tikki.” She responded, looking around for the remote.

“What time is it?” The kwami asked, floating over to nestle into Marinette’s hair.

“It’s…” Marinette paused to glance at the clock. “About eight pm. Wanna watch the news?”

“Sure. We should probably see if anyone noticed the League being in town, anyway.” The small kwami yawned, nodding. Turning on the TV, Marinette flicked from the fashion channel she had been watching last to the Parisian news channel. Standing on screen was her old classmate, Mireille, giving a report on the weather over the next few days. It would be nice and sunny, with a few light showers in the mornings. The weather woman wave goodbye, and the camera panned to Marinette’s honorary Aunt, Nadya Chamack, who was as radiant and peppy as ever.

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news! Several Parisians have tweeted us here at Paris News, with a most odd claim! These folks are claiming that none other than the Justice League of America was seen convening with our very own Court members! These videos have all been examined by experts, and not a single one has been tampered with. This brings about many other questions. Are the League here to help take down Hawkmoth and Mayura? Will they be making any statements to the press? When can we expect progress in the hunt for the dastardly duo that’s been terrorizing our beloved city for nearly ten years? More from our experts, after the break.” Well, _shit._

X0X0X

“Nightwing, do you yield?” Batman asked from where he was standing at the side of the ring. Currently, Teacup was straddling his back, and pinning his hands in place with a single hand. With the other, she was high-fiving her wife, who was smirking down at the vigilante smugly. Upon learning that Teacup still had only ten minutes until she transformed back after using her power, Nightwing had begged for a quick spar, and Teacup had promptly whooped his ass in two minutes flat, only coming close to calling for her wild rampage once.

“I yield.” The pinned man sighed. “ _How_ do you guys keep beating me so fast?!” Nightwing groaned.

“Well, it isn’t just one person you’re fighting.” Nightmare chuckled, helping her much shorter wife over the ropes.

“Please say that’s not another magic thing.” Nightwing winced as he rolled over and stood.

“With us? It always is.” Cat Sidhe scoffed. “Basically, we inherited the muscle memory of everyone who has _ever_ wielded our Miraculous. Fighting is literally our first instinct. My Melody and I have it twice as bad, since we are double Wielders. Also gave us some weird skills. Roi Singe can dance ballet like a Russian, and Vixen can weave on a loom, because past holders loved those things with such passion that it carried over. Each of us is merely the next step in a long, powerful legacy.” The holders were all chuckling at the peeved look on Nightwing’s face.

“I really need to stop getting into spars with you guys.” Nightwing sighed, stretching his back in a rather impressive display of flexibility.

“Nah, ya just need to catch us on an off day. After all, how else will you improve?” Roi Singe asked, yawning and showing off a massive set of incisors.

“Okay, I gotta ask, what the _hell_ is with the fangs? Like, you all have some weird-ass features. I coulda _sworn_ I heard Fidel growl at Flash.” Nightwing asked, pushing himself into a back walkover.

“Huh?” Roi Singe asked, scratching at his cheek. “Oh! The Miraculous, aside from giving us powers and affecting how our bodies function, make us a little bit more like our animal. Some of us have fangs, or can’t stand the cold, or can eat almost anything without getting sick. Hell, one time on a night out, Teacup ate –” A random five-pound weight was flung across the room and hit Roi Singe in the stomach.

“You agreed never to talk about that!” The blushing heroine squeaked, and Roi Singe let out a slight groan.

“But it was hilarious!” Roi Singe protested. As they began to grapple with each other, Nightwing was fondly reminded of his brothers. Speaking of, he couldn’t _wait_ to watch Damian inevitably get his ass handed to him by one of the less intimidating looking members of the Court. With his ego, it was almost certain that he would challenge one of them. Dick’s money was on Nightmare.

X0X0X

Suddenly, right as he opened his mouth to dismiss the court members, Cat Sidhe had to brace himself as the entire compound shook.

“I thought Hawkmoth usually only attacked once a day?!” Nightwing yelped.

“Yeah, but it seems we all forgot about Mayura. Let’s rock and roll, people!” Yellow Jacket griped. The court members suddenly visibly shifted, their eyes going dark, the casual smiles fading away to be replaced with stern scowls. This was war, and every battle took their all just to keep above the water (sometimes literally).


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> !!! THIS IS A DOUBLE UPDATE, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, PLEASE GO BACK AND READ IT !!!

Marinette groaned from her spot on the couch. Mullo had come down from relaxing in the sunroom a while ago, and the trio was sprawled out on the couch, cuddling under a blanket and watching a news report on the current Mayoral elections. Monsieur D’Argencourt was running again, despite having lost so many times in a row. His opponents were a strict woman who had been on the city council for years and was _very_ conservative, and a man who was far more liberal but had little experience. She’d need to keep an eye on things politically, things like this always led to stronger Akumas, be they the politicians themselves or angry citizens.

Right as she had begun to debate with herself whether or not she should go back to bed the whole house shook, and she heard screaming in the streets.

“Son of a _bitch_ …let’s go.” She rolled off the couch with a heavy sigh. “What are we betting on this time?” She asked, stretching and rolling her neck gently.

“Oh! Animal!” Mullo squeaked, perking up. She and the Kwamis had invented a game of betting on what the Amoks would be, winner getting to pick what game they would play on the household game night. If there was a tie, they would do a coin toss.

“I imagine after this morning they’ll go for inanimate.” Tikki yawned. “Ready whenever you are, Marinette!”

“Spots on!” She cried, smirking when she saw a portal appear a few feet away from her, put of sight of the windows. Leaping through, she let loose a battle cry as the world sharply shifted.

X0X0X

The Amok was a rampaging, canine beast, with massive fangs and glowing red eyes, and a hissing, spitting cobra for a tail. It looked like a terrifying mix of a pit-bull and a Doberman pinscher. Nightmare had taken to the rooftops, opening a portal that Ladybug leaped through with a mighty cry. She flung her yoyo at a flagpole and yanked it tight, swinging towards the beast feet-first. She slammed it across the snout, making it whine and stumble. A figure dropped from another portal in the sky, this one swirling blue and white, the figure indistinguishable.

“No way!” Teacup squealed, bouncing in place.

“What is that?” Batman asked, drawing a Batarang.

“ _That_ is someone we don’t see very often.” Cat Sidhe muttered.

“Who?” Wonder Woman asked, fidgeting with her lasso.

“Bunnyx, the wielder of the Rabbit Miraculous. Her Miracle is called Burrow, it allows her to transverse the timestream with ease. She only visits on important occasions, or if she needs to warn us away from something. She’s the one who sent Jade Turtle out on patrol the night he died saving that girl from the disgraced one. Let’s go say ‘hi’, everyone.” Yellow Jacket was smirking as she took off running for the edge of the building. Right as she reached the edge, she grabbed a dagger from her boot and flung it at the beast at the same time as she flung her trompo at the same flagpole Ladybug had swung from. The dagger nailed the beast (presumably an Amok) in the eye, and it howled in agony and rage. It thrashed and stomped its feet, which were the size of minivans. It managed to take the corner off a building, making the civilians evacuating along the sidewalks scream.

Snapping Turtle dove into action, drawing their shield in a fluid motion and shouting something lost beneath the sound of the monster’s howls. A green semi-opaque dome made of hexagons appeared, surrounding a small family and the hero in question from the rubble raining from above. The shield didn’t even flicker or waver, merely protecting the small family as Snapping Turtle scooped one of the three small children up and prepping the family to move.

Vixen, standing on the rooftop, drew her reedpipes from her belt, and slowly began to play a haunting tune. Cat Sidhe, picking up on some hidden signal, made a series of gestures with the hand that bore his ring, before uttering a word that made the Americans shudder. It was dark and dank, this feeling, like the paranoia of being out late at night with shadows looming and every sound inducing panic.

From the ring began to emerge a shadowy figure. It morphed itself slowly into a humanoid figure, dressed in all white, with features that seemed to whisper ‘ _not right, not human, predator!_ ’ in the ears of all who saw it. It was the unnatural smoothness of it’s skin and features, the inverted colors, with white pupils and black irises, hair that started pure white and faded to dull purple. It seemed to be a doll, unmoving, until Cat Sidhe spoke.

“Distract the Amok for me.” He ordered, and the inhuman _thing_ melted into a pool of shadows, before the puddle seemed to dart away towards the Amok.

“What was that?” Nightwing asked uneasily.

“That was his Grace’s secondary ability, Nyx. It creates an inverted clone of pure destruction energy. You don’t want to be around when it self-destructs, that’s for damn sure.” Roi Singe sighed. “I’ll stay back this time; I don’t want to throw you guys off.”

“Alright. I’m off. Vixen, you good?” The fox, who was still playing her pipes, which were emitting a light orange mist, nodded slowly. The mist was descending to the streets below, and Cat Sidhe went running towards the edge of the building, going into a diver’s position as he plummeted towards the street below. Barely twenty feet above the pavement, the cat hero drew his baton and extended it, slamming the end into the ground so hard that it dented the asphalt as he vaulted towards the Amok, which was now biting and snapping as Ladybug and Yellow Jacket darted around it’s head. There was another heroine, this one in blue and white with roller skates on her feet, moving too fast for anyone to properly see her.

The orange mist, which now filled the entire block, suddenly blew towards the Amok, whirling around it as if being held by a tornado. A glance at Vixen proved that her fingers were dancing over her pipes faster than ever, and Batman felt on edge. He’d never been a fan of magic.

The mist rapidly coalesced into a large, feline shape, similar to the Amok in it’s unnatural size. The feline let out a powerful yowl, and swiped with massive claws at the Amok. The Amok (Who Yellow Jacket insisted on calling ‘Fluffy) growled and pounced at the beast, only to be entangled in the wires of Ladybug and Yellow Jacket’s weapons as the illusion dissolved into mist once more. As the wires pulled taught around the Amok, Cat Sidhe’s Nyx reappeared before the beast, darting every which way and holding it’s attention. The beast, desperate in it’s rage to attack the tiny unnatural thing in front of it, thrashed and wriggled, trying to get itself lose, and only succeeded in tightening the wires. Slowly, Cat Sidhe snuck up behind the Amok, right hand raised in front of him as if he was trying to smack a fly. Right as the Amok snapped it’s jaws closed around the clone, Cat Sidhe slammed his hand into a thin red collar around Fido’s neck. The dog let out a startled, pained yelp, and was encased in a squirming mass of dark blue bubbles, which hissed and popped as the Amok shrank. Ladybug stood, waiting, and yanked on her yoyo string, which came zipping back into her palm. It wasn’t until the mass was barely any bigger than an American football that a peacock feather appeared that she acted, gently swinging her yoyo to catch it. When she had the feather secured, she flung her yoyo high into the air, crying out a string of words that felt like pure safety.

It was after the loveliness had faded that the final bubbles faded away, revealing a small, emaciated puppy, who’s bones showed through it’s skin, and it seemed to shiver as it looked up at all the heroes surrounding it. It snarled and snapped, cowering from the heroes around it.

“Wait, _that_ was the eight-story tall monster that just did at least half a million in property damage?” Nightwing asked, walking up behind the Court members.

“This is why Hawkmoth and Mayura are so dangerous, they turn even the most innocuous, innocent little thing into something that can kill hundreds.” Vixen explained, landing behind them lightly, as if she hadn’t just jumped ten stories.

“What will happen to the poor thing?” Wonder Woman asked, watching as the puppy shied away from Ladybug’s hand as if expecting to be hit.

“Well, Fidel already has several dogs. They naturally love her, and Yellow Jacket has been talking about setting up a sanctuary for stray dogs. This one, however, seems to have developed a liking towards her Ladyship.” Roi Singe chuckled, watching as the small dog pressed it’s head into Ladybug’s palm.

“And lord only knows that my Melody could never turn away an animal in need.” Cat Sidhe said, approaching them casually. “Thanks for staying out of the way back there, it could have been bad if someone got hurt.”

“You’re in charge here,” Batman said gruffly.

“Still, we might have an issue. I have some stuff that needs me back home, so I was thinking one of my brothers could come over and help you guys out.”

“We’ll talk about it more tomorrow, for now, we all need to split before the press starts getting pushy and Vixen, Bunnyx, and I transform back.” Ladybug said, holding the small dog in her arms. The canine was cuddled up close to her, soaking in her body heat. “Ready, love?” She asked Cat Sidhe, who nodded and sent a glare at a woman with pinkish hair who was coming their way, a camera crew behind her. “Bug out!” Ladybug said, winking to the cameras and flinging her yoyo (which should _not_ be able to go that far) at a flagpole on a nearby building. Cat Sidhe began to extend his baton, before letting it fall, vaulting off down the street.

X0X0X

Nadya watched as Ladybug and Cat Sidhe left the scene, and the various Court members disappeared to the rooftops. This was perfect! And yet, right as she approached, Batman drew a grappling hook from his belt, fired at a gargoyle on a nearby building, and went flying off, and Wonder Woman barely waved to the camera before flying away. At least the remaining hero, a young man dressed in black and blue, took a moment to smile and give a dramatic bow before somehow climbing a brick wall. These heroes were _ruining_ her poor ratings! Well, she still had that Ladyblogger girl’s number…


	14. Chapter 14

Marinette giggled at Alix’s rambling line of jokes. They were mostly  _ terrible _ puns, with the occasional historical joke, but it was damn good to see her friend again. Alix had been off working for about seven months at a dig site in southern Egypt and had only been able to video call a few times due to the poor signal. She’d barely been able to pop in during the tougher akumas, and even then she hadn’t managed to stay after. However, she had just got back into town about an hour ago via Fluff, fully set on surprising her friends when the Akuma struck.

“It’s sooooo good to be back in Paris.” Alix sighed, watching as Fluff danced with Trixx. “So, after you guys shut off Paris and made international news, rumor has it that the JLA decided to intervene. Any truth to it?”

“Yeah. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Nightwing are our current guests. Flash was here, but he was sent back for being disrespectful.” Aurore explained, grabbing a macaron from the tray on Marinette’s desk.

“Any major Akuma’s while I was away?” Alix asked, arching her back and stretching her hands.

“Nah, nothing on the Hellfire level, at least. We almost had another Syren, but Kim handled it and called me.” Marinette said. Poor Ondine had been told that her new coach was changing the uniform for her team to something…less than modest, and had been embarrassed when she was catcalled during a meet. She’d been so upset she was nearly akumatized again. Kim had been at the meet and decked the guy, before comforting Ondine with puns until Marinette arrived to purify the Akuma that hovered about.

“That’s a relief. Those fights always take it out of you.” Alix grunted a bit when her back popped, before standing up. “Let’s go! I want to meet Wonder Woman, see if she’s as shredded as she looks in the photos.” Alix stood, grabbing Marinette and Aurore’s hands to drag them along with her. Though she didn’t look it, the taller woman was strong as an ox (And just as stubborn).

“Okay, okay, we’re coming!” Aurore giggled, tugging her hands back. Marinette just sighed and let herself be dragged. It was good to see her friend in high spirits. The last few times Alix had come home, she’d been quiet, distant. That was one of the worst parts of wielding a time-based Miraculous. Luka sometimes would just…hold her, after a fight, cradling her and shaking at whatever timelines he had seen play out, how he had seen one of their loved ones inevitably perish or the world end. After Hellfire, he’d asked to have a few days off and went to work with her for the entire time, just sitting in her office and playing his guitar, staring into nothing as absent hands danced across the strings. He’d been jumpy, clingy, constantly watching the door. She couldn’t stand seeing him like this, lost and broken and grieving for something that has already been erased, that no one else can ever understand.

Alix dragged Mari to the elevator before slapping the button for the top floor. As they rode up in silence, Alix swinging their clasped hands through the air, Mari took a moment to breathe. They would need to run an analysis on the other members of the so-called ‘bat-family’, figure out who would be a good match for their needs. She knew little of them, but they had comprehensive files on the entire League (Not that they would tell them that.).

They arrived at the meeting room, entering to see the rest of the Order and the League sitting there, staring at the smartboard as a video played. It was Nadya Chamack, interviewing none other than someone the bar at the bottom of the screen identified as Alya Lahiffe, someone Marinette vaguely remembered from middle school. Honestly, she hadn’t seen the woman much since they each went to separate high schools, years ago now. The woman had caused a bit of trouble back when LLDH had been just starting, writing smear articles and generally stirring trouble. Other than that, there was nothing that honestly meant much to Marinette. She knew they’d been friends for a few months before Lila appeared and caused all that drama.

Honestly, Marinette had eventually just decided to ignore the girl. After all, what was she going to do, try to force Lila to reveal herself with some convoluted scheme? Pray that some random celebrity would take a liking to her and decide to fix shit? No, she would take the middle road (Screw Agreste and his high-ground, that was victim-blaming  _ bullshit _ .) and stay as neutral as possible.

Settling into her chair at the head of the table, Marinette tuned into the broadcast.

“And you say that the Court is…ancient evil gods?” Nadya asked, clearly skeptical.

“Absolutely!” Alya enthused. “I have a source that has confirmed this as the unbiased truth! They come from a small country in the east, where they were widely worshipped. After they faded from the limelight, they went to Egypt but found that there was no place for them. They bounced around for some thousand years, before settling in Europe. They’ve been here for centuries!”

“And she…honestly believes this?” Wonder Woman asked, staring at the screen.

“I’m afraid she has a bad source.” Luka snorted. “Said source is a known ally of Hawkmoth, but she has diplomatic immunity as a close relative of a member of the Italian embassy. We’re rather stuck here.”

“I’ll have someone start spreading rumors online about the real origin of the Court. It’ll be done within the hour.” Batman said, typing something on the phone he pulled from his utility belt.

“Now, we’ll need to figure out who’ll be replacing me. I vote for Robin; he has the best control of his emotions and is fluent in French.” Nightwing said, crossing his arms across his chest.

“No, Robin is too risky. Red Hood is however stubborn enough to resist an Akuma.” Wonder Woman interjected.

“Hood has poor control of his temper. We should send Red Robin, he’s the most analytical of us.” Batman offered.

“We’ve already made our decision,” Marinette interjected, drawing all eyes to her. “The three of you will be returning to your Watchtower for the rest of the week, and we’ll send a message containing instructions for those who are meant to re-enter Paris. We want to minimize the risk of Hawkmoth deciding to Akumatize one of you. Nightmare, see them out.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Please comment! These chapters take ~4 hours, between outlining, writing, beta-ing, and editing. New chapters will be written based on how popular it is compared to other stories.


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